KitPlus | Articles

Diversify or Die

This headline of this article is a simple fact, diversify or die! It is necessary for survival as well as interest of mind to do this within business. "If a farmer can no longer produce crops because no-one wants them he must diversify or die.\" Caravans, glamping, corporate days in the country with hunting, fishing and shooting; these are just som...

Submitted by Steffan Hewitt

Published 13 January 2017

Selecting the right broadcast minicam lens

So we all know that HD and 4K (and beyond) is the norm for content creation and delivery, with the need for unique and versatile shots being offered to increase the audiences participation and visual experiences. A major factor aside from the camera itself is the selection of lens, for some of the UHD sensor formats a broad spectrum of "off the she...

Submitted by Steffan Hewitt

Published 10 November 2016

Filming in 4k in not just about the camera

Filming in 4K is not just about the camera. The whole workflow and supply chain needs to be considered. A BNC cable that you have used for the last few years has happily coped with 1.5G HD-SDI, now we are wanting twice the data rate. Camera Corps asked Polecam to help with its supply of cameras to the Champions of Hockey Games at the Olympic Hockey...

Submitted by Steffan Hewitt

Published 26 September 2016

Shooting the WRC Rally

Mark bites the dust for his art and lives to tell the tale... A look at my website will confirm I don\'t just shoot cars, I cover a wide range of genres. But I have shot in and around cars through my career. Early on I joined a facilities company specialising in the design and build of onboard camera systems for F1 and Motorcycle GP live TV coverag...

Submitted by Mark Sallaway

Published 25 August 2016

Shooting the Extreme

by Mel Noonan Issue 112 - April 2016 Steffan Hewitt started covering extreme sports as a cameraman and learnt to ski backwards while shooting skiers in front of him. Surprisingly he survived, and went on to design and use a lightweight pole with an early SD minicam slung at the top operated via a remote pan and tilt head from the other end. He call...

Submitted by Mel Noonan

Published 25 April 2016

Ed Sheeran goes 4k live at Wembley

by Steffan Hewitt Issue 106 - October 2015 Ed Sheeran has had a phenomenal ride to music success world wide. In July 2015 as part of his x World Tour he played three sold out concerts at Londons Wembley Stadium, his biggest solo shows to date with combined show audiences of 240,000 plus. Paul Dugdale and Jim Parsons whilst working for JA Digital pl...

Submitted by Steffan Hewitt

Published 01 November 2015

DOPs discuss minicams, lenses, 4k and all

by Mel Noonan Issue 100 - April 2015 If anyone knows about the practical reality of using minicams and lenses it has to be the DOPs who are out there using them. We are now seeing minicams used in all areas of production, some with 1080p and 4K capability at prices you would not have believed possible a few years back. I spoke to some of the DOPs I...

Submitted by Mel Noonan

Published 01 May 2015

When the going gets tough

Issue 100 - April 2015 From the monsoonal rainforests of Papua New Guinea to the frozen Antarctic wastes , Peli cases perform in all conditions as Producer/Director and Cameraman, Alexis Girardet explains... Peli cases are renowned for their high quality, durability and dependability in extreme conditions. Offering watertight, dustproof and crushpr...

Submitted by KitPlus

Published 01 May 2015

Hands-on with the Antelope PICO ultra slow motion minicam

by Mel Noonan Issue 98 - February 2015 Super slow motion, or super motion, has been around for years and is mostly 3x recording speed. If you record say 3 seconds of action and play it back at normal European production frame rate you\'ll have 9 seconds of slow motion replay. These cameras must integrate with the live production workflow in use. SS...

Submitted by Mel Noonan

Published 01 March 2015

Miniature cameras on the move

by Kieron Seth Issue 95 - November 2014 Using cameras in-car has always been problematic. Most importantly, the size of camera is crucial: sit a camera operator in the vehicle with a camcorder and the natural sense of intimacy is lost. Mount the camcorder within the cockpit and it is sure to obscure the driver\'s view of the road. The alternative i...

Submitted by Kieron Seth#

Published 01 December 2014

Shooting in secret

by Kieron Seth Issue 88 - April 2014 Now showing on Channel 4 is Endemols new and highly popular Secret Eaters series. Based round a fixed rig production, the series uses newly developed mobile fixed rig technology and incorporates a number of recently introduced technical innovations, vital for fast turn-around TV. Secret Eaters is one of a string...

Submitted by Kieron Seth#

Published 01 May 2014

From the frontline to the finish line

by Paul Sargeant Issue 88 - April 2014 Dakar Rally: Frontline to Finish Line first hit our screens on 16th April 2013. It followed the exciting journey of a team of seriously injured servicemen from Britain and the US as they took on the worlds toughest rally. The Dakar Rally is the ultimate test of man and machine versus the elements as drivers ra...

Submitted by Paul Sargeant#

Published 01 May 2014

The UKs PTZ explosion

by Kieron SethIssue 83 - November 2013 The advent of broadcast quality, remotely controlled PTZ cameras has had an enormous impact on television production in the UK. Not only can cameras now be discreetly placed in virtually any location but they can also be operated a very small team of technicians. This combination of creative freedom and the si...

Submitted by Kieron Seth#

Published 01 December 2013

Polecam delivers 500th rig

by Mel NoonanIssue 81 - September 2013 We in the UK should be rightly proud of Polecam and what it has achieved, with news that the 500th rig has been delivered. Extreme sports cameraman Steffan Hewitt designed the lightweight jib for his own use, as a tool to get the shots he wanted. He kept refining it as he used it. Others saw it and wanted it....

Submitted by Mel Noonan

Published 01 October 2013

Does size matter? with Polecam

It’s simple. Horses for Courses! ScenarioWhen shooting Anything, Anywhere, there is always a trade between budget, performance, manpower, speed and space – the production company and client will inevitably want quite simply “the best they can get and at the best price”. However when the application and location of the shoot dictate over and above t...

Submitted by KitPlus

Published 01 July 2013